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7.7/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7.7/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. On a Sunday Afternoon remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have about six minutes and like seeing how people had fun a hundred years ago, then yeah, definitely. You should watch this if you’re into animation history or just like the weird, rubbery physics of old cartoons.
You will probably hate it if you can’t stand grainy black-and-white footage or if the idea of a 'sing-along' makes you want to hide under your bed. It’s very much a product of its time.
I watched this on a laptop, but you can almost smell the stale popcorn and floor wax of an old theater while it plays. Dave Fleischer and Rudy Zamora were doing something so simple here, yet it feels strangely alive.
It starts with the usual bit where Koko the Clown pops out of the inkwell. I’ve seen this a dozen times, but it never really gets old how the ink just blobs together into a person.
The way Koko moves is so fluid it almost looks like he’s made of liquid. There is this one moment where he interacts with the 'real' world that still looks clever, even with the primitive tech they had.
The cartoon doesn't stay with Koko for long though. It’s mostly about the song.
This was one of the first times they used the 'bouncing ball' gimmick to help people keep the beat. It’s funny to think about a room full of people in suits and hats singing at a screen in 1926.
The song is 'On a Sunday Afternoon,' which is about as wholesome and old-fashioned as you can get. The lyrics are super simple, mostly about taking your girl to the park and such.
I noticed the ball doesn't always hit the words perfectly. Sometimes it feels like it’s a bit ahead of the music, or maybe the music I heard was just a bit out of sync with the print.
It reminds me of the pacing in The Barker, where things just kind of happen at their own speed. You can’t really rush this kind of entertainment.
There are these tiny animations that happen in the corners while the words are on screen. A little bird or a couple of kids doing something goofy in the background.
They didn't have to put those in there, but they did. It makes the whole thing feel less like a karaoke machine and more like a crafted piece of art.
The background art is mostly just white space, which gives it this dreamy, unfinished quality. It’s not quite as busy as Monkeying Around, which I think works in its favor.
Sometimes the screen flickers so much it’s hard to see the characters' faces. It adds to the charm, I guess, like looking at an old family photo that’s been in a box too long.
It’s not a masterpiece, and it’s not trying to be. It’s just a Sunday afternoon distraction, literally.
I found myself humming the tune for like twenty minutes after it ended. That’s probably the highest praise you can give a song cartoon from the silent era. 🎶
If you enjoyed the vibe of Be Yourself, you’ll find this to be a nice companion piece. It’s just pure, uncomplicated fun from a time when a bouncing ball was high technology.
The ending is a bit abrupt. Koko just kind of goes back into the inkwell and that’s it.
No big finale. Just a quick goodbye. 👋
I kind of like that it doesn't overstay its welcome. It knows exactly what it is and then it leaves you alone.
IMDb —
1922
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